Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter downs another Russian drone in Donbas

Sunday, October 14, 2018 9:00:33 AM

On Saturday October 13, the crew of a Joint Forces Mi-24 helicopter shot down an Orlan-10 drone in the Donbas, the kind of drone used by the Russian Armed Forces, the headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) reports.

“In the sky over Lysychansk at 8:09, radar instruments detected an airborne target, presumably identified as an Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle, which is in the armament of the Russian Armed Forces,” the report states.

According to the JFO, the object maneuvered in a way which indicated it was carrying out a reconnaissance flight along the Lysychansk – Severodonetsk route.

“Immediately the on-duty anti-air defense forces were brought to military alert number one. Joint Forces Commander Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev made the decision to destroy the target using a Mi-24 fire support helicopter,” the report notes.

The on-duty helicopter crew was scrambled at 8:45, and took off to intercept the airborne target. After identifying it visually, the helicopter began to pursue it.

The Russian drone changed its altitude and course frequently, but this was not enough to save it, the article notes.

“At 9:58, the Orlan-10 belonging to the Russian occupation forces was shot down in the region of the Borivske settlement. By as early as 10:10, Joint Forces ground troops divisions had found and identified its wreckage,” the JFO headquarters adds.

The day before, the anti-air defense forces had detected two drones crossing the demarcation line and heading towards the Lysychansk oil refinery plant. One of them was shot down, but the other escaped into territory not controlled by Ukraine.